Ontario and IBM Canada are partnering with several leading Ontario universities to create a world-class virtual Research and Development Centre in Ontario.

The project will create 145 new, highly skilled R&D jobs and help secure thousands of existing jobs at IBM in Ontario while supporting cutting-edge innovation.

The new IBM Canada Research and Development Centre will use state-of-the-art computer infrastructure to drive innovative discoveries in key areas and bring them to market.  The Centre's research will focus on:

• Data management for health care, such as technology that can help doctors detect life threatening conditions in premature babies 24 hours earlier
• Water conservation and management, such as reducing pollution in water systems by monitoring sewer systems and spotting problems in a pipeline before a leak
• Energy management, such as finding better ways to track how hydro flows, reducing waste and saving customers money, and
• Rapid urbanization and aging infrastructure in our cities, such as managing traffic lights to improve traffic flow.

The research projects will be supported by an expansion of IBM's software development labs in Markham and Ottawa, and a new high performance data centre in Barrie, set to be fully operational in late 2012.

Fostering innovation is part of the McGuinty government's plan to create a vibrant economy.  A strong economy creates jobs for Ontarians and protects the services that matter most to Ontario families - health care and education.